Meeting at a Museum

In 2014 Socialiniai meno projektai along with Lithuanian museums, Vilnius Academy of Art, Lithuanian Sports University started to implement an innovative training programme for museum educators Susisitikime muziejuje (Meeting at a Museum). The training programme covered theory and practice of organizing educational activities, exposition presentation programs, creative workshops for people living with dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, who suffer from memory loss, have learning disability.

NATIONAL ART GALLERY

KAUNAS BIENAL

The project was started as a training programme for museum educators and developed into an inovative platform, which supports museum educators, who wish to start building accessible arts programmes in their work place. "Susitikime muziejuje" experience offered a possibility for an international collaboration in the project "Museums, Art and Alzheimers".The training programme in 2014 and 2015 was led by Baibre-Ann Harkin, lecturer from Ireland, and Dr Vida Ostasevičienė and Dr Diana Reklaitienė – lecturers of the Lithuanian Sports University. The programme presented the themes of health, psychology, emotional, behavior and development of the specific groups of people, it also included the theme of biopsychosocial process of aging and its consequences. B.-A. Harkin presented the experience of the successful programme Meet Me carried out at Modern Art Museum in New York. Seeking to expand competences of educators, this programme aims to increase the availability of museums and galleries to the specific groups of people who face social difference in daily life and stigmatizing attitude of the society.Educational activity at the museum can expand the possibilities of the specific groups to become active, develop their creativity, to seek self-expression etc. as well to improve health and wellbeing. Human wellbeing which can get a positive effect from educational programs of museums comprise positive changes related to learning capabilities (memory, comprehension, recognition) concentration of attention, self-esteem, socialization.After the training the educators will apply their knowledge to the practice.

The participants of the training included educators of the National Art Museum-National Art Gallery, Applied Art Museum, Vilnius Art Gallery, Vytautas Kasiulis Art Museum, Museum of Radvilai Palace as well as the Lithuanian Education History Museum, the Lithuanian Sea Museum. The first educational workshops at the museums will be carried on in cooperation with the Lithuanian Alzheimer Association, Care Home “Tremtinių namai“ and “Senevita“, Gerontology and Rehabilitation Center, Priekulė Social Service Center.